Scared Into the Light
by par-ic
Summary: Catherine begins receiving letters from someone who REALLY wants to talk. But who's doing the sending? Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**Another random idea that popped into my head. I get them all the time, less than half of them make it on paper. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Beta: Lostladyknight...you know I love ya!**

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The Start-

Today was not a good day for Catherine Willows. It was cold and rainy, just the weather she hated. Her daughter had woken her up in the middle of her much needed sleep to talk to her about a crush, and at three in the afternoon, it was the last thing she wanted to hear. At least there was one good thing, she thought. Lindsey, fourteen at the time, had finally started at least talking to her mother again.

Giving up on the prospect of doing her hair, Catherine threw it up into a ponytail. As she put on her makeup, she could easily hear Lindsey's music playing. A new song started to play with loud drumming, causing Catherine to jump in shock. She released an annoyed sigh while trying to clean off the smudge of mascara near her eye. Once it was removed, Catherine found it almost impossible to deal with the constant switching of Lindsey's songs. She walked out of her bedroom and down the hall.

"Lindsey! Open up!" she yelled as she banged against the white door. The music did not cease so she banged harder. Finally, Lindsey turned it off, and Catherine realized she had a pounding headache. The door swung open, revealing Lindsey dressed in pajamas, leaning against her door.

"Yeah mom?" she asked even though she already knew what her mother wanted. Catherine crossed her arms, preparing for a fight.

"Turn the music down," she ordered. Lindsey's face twisted into an annoyed expression.

"Come on, it wasn't that loud!" she whined in her teenager ways. Catherine held firm.

"You can turn it back on after I'm gone; just give me some peace and quiet for now."

"Fine," Lindsey grumbled before slamming her door. Catherine raised her fingers to her temples and rubbed them gently as she walked into her kitchen.

Soon her mother would arrive to make sure Lindsey stayed out of trouble for the night while Catherine went to the lab to start her shift. Things had definitely changed since Nick was buried alive, but Catherine was coping with it. Especially the change in Warrick's behavior ever since he got married and she had told him of her disappointment. She shook her head to clear away the thoughts as she dry swallowed two Advil.

Lily was now knocking at the door, twenty minutes late. Catherine opened it with an annoyed expression.

"You're late," she said. Immediately Lily's face became apologetic.

"I'm sorry; you know the traffic on the strip."

"That's why you don't take the strip mother!" Catherine exclaimed. Once again she found herself shaking her head against the annoyance, "Lindsey has a project due tomorrow. I haven't had time to help her on it."

"Of course not; I'll help," Lily responded while walking past Catherine.

"Thanks mom," Catherine called over her shoulder as she walked to her car.

Using every back road she knew, Catherine managed to get to the lab three minutes before Grissom could accuse her of being late. She rushed in, ignoring Judy's greeting. Just as she clocked in Grissom came into the break room with everyone's assignments.

"Double murder on the strip. Looks like a couple of homeless got into a gun fight," he said as soon as he came in.

"Hello to you too," Warrick joked. Catherine cocked her head to the side.

"Who gives homeless people guns?" she asked. Nick looked at her with a strange glance.

"Anyone have any preferences?" Grissom asked, referring to the other three cases in his hand.

"I want the homeless, you've got me interested," Catherine said grabbing it from him, "Come on Nick, you're with me."

Nick stood up and followed her out while the rest of the cases were passed out.

In the car, Nick became curious; he looked away from the passenger side window to Catherine.

"What's going on with you and Warrick? Suddenly I'm your new favorite?" he asked. Catherine's guard flew up but she managed a laugh.

"Now Nicky, it wouldn't be too nice of me to pick favorites now would it? And you know how I love to be nice," she responded without actually answering the initial question. Nick laughed.

"I know that you're the Ice Queen, but I'm being serious."

"Fine, Warrick and I are having friendship issues," she responded nonchalantly.

"You and Warrick? You've known each other forever, but you still haven't worked out all the kinks?" Nick was silent for a moment until he came to a realization.

"This is about his wife isn't it?" Catherine remained silent and focused on the road. "I met her this weekend."

This caught her attention, "Tina right?" she asked without waiting for an answer, "Wait you met her?" Nick started to laugh.

"Catherine Willows! Are you jealous of her?" he asked with high suspicion. Catherine stared at him blankly. She and Nicky weren't that close, Catherine rationalized, so it was okay to share a little white lie.

"No, why would I be jealous?" she asked as they pulled up to their crime scene. Both people stepped out of the car, their conversation over, and began to work the scene.

Three hours later, Catherine and Nick were back at the lab, running all of their evidence. Nick walked into the DNA lab, where Catherine and Wendy were in mid-conversation.

"Mandy matched the prints from the barrel of the gun to a Carson Davis. He is wanted for murder in California," he announced. Catherine looked at him with a smile.

"We got the same results in the saliva from the lollipop you found next to the bodies," Wendy agreed. The two CSIs thanked the lab tech and walked out into the hallway, headed for the trace lab.

"I'm thinking that Davis came here, gave the homeless guys the gun he used to murder his wife, and watched them fight over it," Catherine mused.

"Yeah, maybe he thought that getting rid of the murder weapon would clear his name," Nick agreed. Catherine pulled out her phone and dialed Jim Brass's number.

"Hey Jim. We need to get a Carson Davis. He is wanted for murder in California and is the suspect in my case," she paused for a moment, listening to his response, "Thanks, Bye." By the time she was off the phone they had reached Hodges's lab.

"What do you have for us?" Nick asked the tech. Hodges turned around from his machine, holding up the results.

"For the case, the brown powder was finely ground chewing tobacco," Hodges looked towards Catherine, "For you, this." He held out a letter and Catherine looked at him suspiciously.

"Who gave you this?" she asked as she took it from his hands.

"It was on the reception desk, I picked it up on the way in because I figured I'd see you tonight." Catherine's fingers immediately flew to the edges.

"How many people have touched this?" she asked as she examined the person's handwriting which read Catherine Willows. Before Hodges could answer, Nick cut in.

"Are you going to dust for prints or something?" he asked. Catherine gave him a quick glance before looking back to the letter.

"Until I find out who sent this I'm treating it like evidence," she answered before walking out.

She came upon Grissom's closed office door and heard voices from within. She could clearly hear his voice arguing with Sara's. Catherine raised her fist to knock but decided against it. I'll tell him later, she told herself as she walked to Mandy's lab.

"I'm going to use your table and give you the prints to run right after. They are your highest priority," she informed the brunette. Mandy didn't respond, she had learned to trust the older woman in her decisions.

Catherine set straight to work on her letter, taking every print then setting them on Mandy's desk.

"Catherine, what is this for?" Mandy asked as the first set of results came up. When she didn't get an answer she continued to run the other two sets of prints.

"Hodges, Warrick, and you. Those are the only prints. Did you guys forget your gloves or something?" she asked. Catherine shook her head.

"No. Hodges picked this up at the reception desk for me, I was suspicious. That's all. Thanks for doing this for me," she answered before grabbing the letter and walking out.

With all previous feelings about her coworker gone, Catherine approached Warrick.

"Why are your prints on this?" she asked as she walked through the door of the layout room.

"I found it on the hood of your car when I got back from my scene. Why, is it important?" he asked while still checking for blood.

"Well, I was just a little confused because Hodges gave it to me and now that you said it was on my car," she responded.

"Maybe you should open it," he suggested. Catherine shrugged her shoulders and left. She made a sharp left then continued down the hall to her office. Before sitting behind her desk she removed all of the day shift supervisors duck decorations.

Catherine slowly and carefully opened the white envelope with her letter opener. She was once again cautious over the prints. Catherine set the letter down suddenly and opened a drawer. She pulled out a pair of rubber gloves and put them on. Now, pulling out the single sheet of paper, Catherine started to become a little insecure. She had no idea what this letter was about. To her surprise the letter was anything but threatening, leaving her quite confused. She reread the lettering many times before anything registered in her mind.

"We need to talk," she started to read out loud as Grissom and Sara walked in.

"About what?" Grissom asked. Catherine looked up.

"I got this today. I already tested for prints on the envelope," Catherine said as she pulled out tools to dust the initial letter.

"You keep finger print powder in your desk?" Sara asked. Catherine just shrugged her shoulders in response.

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Grissom asked accusingly. Catherine looked up at him sternly.

"It wasn't like we weren't going to do this anyway," she went back to reading the note, "Meet me in the back of the lab tomorrow at two A.M." She looked back up at the two people expectantly.

"Well there is no way you are going," Grissom answered her unasked question.

"Why Gill? There isn't a threat and it's at the lab. I'll even bring my gun," she protested. Grissom shook his head.

"I can't let you do this Catherine; it's not safe," he answered.

"Um, I think I'll leave you two alone," Sara said before excusing herself from the room. Grissom watched her leave before turning back to the strawberry blond.

"Fine, but you will bring your gun and Jim's team will be there for back up." Catherine rolled her eyes.

"I can take care of myself Gil," Catherine told him as he picked up the letter and walked out of the door.

The next day, Catherine came into work with great anticipation. As she pulled into the lab she could see Jim's car sitting in one of the parking places. She rolled her eyes to the extra precaution and walked into the lab.

"So how's this going to go? Am I working tonight or not?" she asked as she barged into the break room. Grissom looked up from his book along with Nick and Warrick from their television program.

"Is this about that letter?" Nick asked. Warrick stood up and walked closer to Catherine.

"That drop is tonight isn't it? You know, I don't feel comfortable with this." Catherine blinked a few times. She was shocked that he was actually showing her some sort of emotion. Warrick realized what he had said had stepped over the line, so he sighed and brushed past her, leaving the room.

Catherine drew in a sharp breath at the subtle touch between them, electricity flowing through her body. She shook off the feeling and turned to Grissom with a raised eyebrow.

"Paper work until three," he announced before handing Sara, Nick, and Greg their case slips and leaving the room. Catherine rolled her eyes and sighed before returning to her office.

Catherine finished all of her paperwork in five hours. Turns out, leaving case reports for later is a bad thing, she told herself. A quick look at the clock on the wall told her she had a little less than a half hour to get ready. She walked out of her office and into the locker room. After putting on her jacket, Catherine sat down on the bench. Nick came in and sat down on the next bench over.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. Catherine jumped; she hadn't seen him come in.

"Yeah, if I don't, who ever this is will try and contact me some other way," she answered. Nick nodded.

"I guess you're right. But at any time you can say when and we will pull you out of there," he reassured her while putting a hand on her shoulder. Catherine turned to face him.

"I'm sure this is nothing to worry about, but thank you Nicky," she responded. Catherine stood up and pulled her gun out of her open locker and strapped it to her waist band.

"Let's go," she said before walking out with Nick on her heels. Halfway to the back door of the lab, Catherine noticed that Nick was no longer following her. She pushed open the door and walked out, listening to her heels clacking against the concrete.

She made a point to look around for signs of Jim's team but they were not there. They had told her where each officer would be stationed, but Catherine could not see them. She stopped walking, now in the center of the alley, and spun around. There weren't any cops hidden in the shadows. Catherine was alone in this. She felt the fear rise in her throat as she contemplated running back inside. Then she heard a voice.

"Catherine," the voice called from the shadows. Catherine sighed.

"Oh thank God it's you," she said in a relieved tone.

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**People have told me not to beg, but barely anyone gives me responces. Hmm...I'm sad now. Make me happy with more comments. I'll even take flames. I like to laugh at them.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for keeping all of you waiting. Thankyou to all who are reading.**

**Beta: LLK, Amanda Ruth**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.**

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Chapter Two---

"What are you doing here?" Catherine asked the man as he revealed himself. She would know that voice anywhere; it haunted her in her dreams every night.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw that look in your eyes and figured you were a little freaked," Warrick said with a deep sense of caring, his original intension forgotten.

"Yeah, where is Brass?" she asked as she looked around. Warrick sighed.

"Um, I sent them away; told them you could handle yourself and that I'd be here."

Catherine frowned. _Hadn't he been the one to warn me about tonight? _"And you didn't think to warn me about this sudden change in plans?"

Catherine's voice had risen slightly, but she didn't seem to notice. Warrick decided not to answer her question. Instead he pursed his lips and looked away from her.

"Never mind. Forget it," Catherine said angrily. Warrick had scared her half to death, and then just expected her to shrug it off? Well, that wasn't okay with her. She turned around and walked into the lab through the back entrance while Warrick walked around to the front, giving Catherine her space.

In Grissom's office, Catherine sat down in one of the chairs, waiting for him to set down a stack full of case files. When he finally did, she gave him her most piercing stare

"What were you thinking, listening to Warrick and leaving me alone, without telling me about the new plan?" she asked as calmly as she could manage.

Grissom grimaced at the anger being directed towards him, but was quick with his rebuttal. "Catherine, calm down. I have no idea what you're talking about. Warrick wasn't even there."

Catherine's anger was replaced with astonishment. "Yes he was! You're the ones who weren't; the people who insisted I have some kind of back up when I went to meet this weirdo," Catherine yelled back, throwing her hands up in the air to emphasize. Grissom sighed, his expression slightly annoyed.

"Look, Catherine, this can go back and forth for days. Just explain what you think happened," he rationalized, and Catherine rolled her eyes.

"I got a note; you gave me permission to act on it. I did my part and walked to the alley behind the lab. When I looked around there were no officers. The only person who was there, Warrick of all people, was hiding in the shadows." Some of her anger towards Warrick spilled over to her boss. When she was done, Gil looked lost in thought. "Are you even listening to me?" she asked with a raised voice. Gil turned his head to meet her gaze again.

"Yes. So, you didn't send the memo about getting another note that changed the location?" he responded.

Catherine's eyes widened in sarcasm. "Gil Grissom? Read memos? I wouldn't waste my time," she answered, but she could tell he was anything but joking.

"This guy really wants you to be alone when you talk to him. If you get any more notes, come straight to me and don't tell anyone else. Then, and only then, will I decide if I will allow you to go." Catherine nodded, anger and sarcasm completely gone and replaced with general fear, and got up to leave. When she got half way to the door his voice stopped her. "I want you to be careful Cath. Try to always have someone with you."

**Next Night**

Catherine walked through her house, picking up odd objects that had been left around, her shoulders stiff and back straight. She had woken up to find another note taped to the outside of her bedroom window. Luckily, it had been when she first opened the blinds to let in the light. This time it read:

_I couldn't work up the courage to talk to you the first time, so let's try a second. Meet me at the Crazy Saloon tomorrow at 9 A.M. See you after shift._

It had taken a whole hour for Catherine to be able to retrieve the note; having to talk yourself out of your fears is not an easy task. Now she stood in her kitchen making dinner for herself and Lindsey. Catherine had just dumped the steamed vegetables that had been cooking for the last few minutes on the plate when she heard Lindsey's footsteps slamming as she ran down the stairs. The sudden sound made Catherine jump and drop the steaming pot, the jumble ending up on one of her arms. She yelled out in pain as she tried to brush off the medley of carrots and broccoli. Lindsey had appeared in the kitchen door only to rush to the sink and pour a cup full of cold water she had found in the sink on her mother's arm.

"Thanks babe," Catherine appraised as she ran cool water over the spot on which she was scalded the worst, about four inches in diameter just below her wrist.

"No problem," Lindsey responded as she riffled through the top cupboard for the first-aid kit. "Did I scare you?"

"Little bit," Catherine said, trying to sound sarcastic, but it came off as a small voice. As Lindsey repeatedly apologized, Catherine wrapped her wrist in gauze.

"What's that?" Lindsey asked, pointing to the card sticking out of her pocket. Catherine turned her head, the white noise that had been her daughter's voice suddenly sparking her interest.

"An invite," she paused to think up an excuse, "to Nick's party." Lindsey seemed to believe her lie.

"Am I invited?" she asked excitedly. Catherine shook her head.

"Sorry, adults only. Besides, there aren't going to be any other kids there your age," she explained. Lindsey's face dropped and she proceeded to clean up the spilled food.

"Don't worry about that. Eat your food before it gets cold," Catherine said as she looked towards the clock on the wall. She was going to have to get to the lab relatively early to meet with Grissom.

"I'm leaving. Have a good night. Don't stay up to late," she warned before grabbing her keys and heading out the door.

Now at the lab, Catherine walked into Grissom's office, sat in the chair, and threw the letter onto the brown desk. This time Grissom was quick to look up from his papers.

"Another one?" he asked as she read. Catherine ignored the rhetorical questioned and answered his unspoken next.

"It was taped to the outside of my bedroom window. The blinds were drawn, so I don't think whoever it was is watching me sleep."

Grissom looked up at her, a shocked expression on his face. "Why would he choose a crowded bar to talk? Is there anything special about that bar to you? Anything at all?" he voiced, bombarding her with questions.

"It's not my favorite; it's the closest bar to the lab. When Warrick and I were rookies, I was having a particularly bad day, and he found me there, drunk." She did her best to ignore the nasty taste that Warrick's name had left in her mouth.

"I'm not going to get on you about that detail, but is there anything that happened with a non-work related person?" Grissom asked with interest. Catherine shook her head.

"Okay. I'm going to let you go, but Jim is going to be there this time. If I get anything about a change I'm going to you directly for conformation. Don't tell anyone else," he instructed. Catherine stood up, grabbed the note, and left.

Catherine had been parried with Greg, but she couldn't keep her concentration at its normal level. Unsurprisingly, he noticed.

"Hey Catherine, are you doing okay?"

Catherine looked up from the finger print that she had been dusting, or rather just running an empty brush over it."Yes," she answered as she became engrossed in her work. Greg didn't believe her, and yet he did not push her either.

By the time the two had finished Greg had gone over Catherine's work, fixing dozens of mistakes, but she didn't seem to notice. And if she did, she didn't seem to mind.

A few hours after Greg had brought the evidence bags into the layout room Catherine was almost finished. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched, not just in that room but everywhere she went, or the appeasement everyone was showing her if she put up a fight. _Did they know?_ She was forced to ask herself. Catherine finished placing the evidence in the correct boxes, then went in search of Grissom.

She found him in the break room reviewing old cases. Catherine walked up behind him, unnoticed, and dropped the square card high above his head, sending it fluttering down onto the space in front of him. Grissom half jumped as he spun around to meet the cause of his consternation.

"I don't want to carry this around anymore; it's creeping me out," she explained before walking to the mini-fridge. As her soft fingers touched the cold metal handle a chill was delivered throughout her whole body.

"I'll keep them then," Grissom said, his eyes now back on his papers. Catherine pulled out an apple and sat in the chair. After the first bite, Nick and Warrick walked in, each rushing for the pot of lukewarm coffee.

Within minutes the whole team had entered the small room, making for a crowded atmosphere. Catherine had begun to feel slightly claustrophobic. The air around her seemed to be pressing into her body and eliminating any available oxygen.

"I think it's time for me to leave, boys and girls," she said, trying to sound lighthearted. Greg looked up at her with a fake malignant eye.

"You're leaving me with a double? Thanks." Grissom turned towards his team.

"We're going to have a little switch; I have to leave as well. Sara is going to be going to Greg's case, Nick and Warrick are going solo on theirs," he explained.

Warrick stood up. "Presuming that you have nothing else for me, I'll be leaving too; I closed my case a few minutes ago," he reasoned. Grissom was silent, so Warrick took it as a cue to leave. Catherine sighed reluctantly and left with Grissom right on her heels.

Catherine was sitting in the passenger side of Grissom's SUV, nervously biting her nails, something she hadn't done since she was a small girl.

Grissom voiced his opinion to break the silence. "That's a horrible habit." Catherine removed her hand from her mouth but didn't say a word. Soon the pair was sitting in the packed parking lot of the bar, along with three other under-cover police cars.

"You ready?" Grissom asked, although his question was in vain. Catherine was sitting with her arms hugging her torso and breathing slightly quicker than normal. He placed his hand on her shoulder, causing Catherine to jump from the sudden change of heat in the spot he had come in contact with.

"I should have told Lindsey," she said more to herself than to her colleague.

"Maybe so, but don't back out now. Tell her when you get home," Grissom said without removing his hand. Catherine nodded and slowly stepped out of the car door and into the early morning light.

Mostly filled with alcoholics, given the hour, Catherine found it impossible to find a seat at the bar. So instead, she settled for a booth seat, and a cocktail waitress immediately came up to take her order.

"Scotch," Catherine answered before the woman could ask. Catherine's blue eyes roamed every inch of the room in search of the person leaving her the notes that had scared her beyond her wits, even with her being the type of person it was hard to make shake in her boots.


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry, but it's a bit short. The next one will be much longer, I promise._

_Beta: LLK_

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Chapter 3---

Catherine gave up her search and started to tap on the glass table beneath her hands. A million thoughts raced through her mind. _Who was this guy? What was so important they needed to talk about? Will I come out of this unharmed? If not, what was going to happen to Lindsey?_

A young, ratty man, looking to be in his early thirties, walked into the bar. His clothes were ripped and filthy, the stench that came rolling off of him was almost unbearable. If one didn't know better, they might think he lived in a city dump.

Catherine eyed him cautiously as he walked up to the bartender and handed him a folded bill. She turned behind her, towards the entrance to the bathrooms. Brass, dressed casually, looked away from his undercover partner and towards her. Catherine was slightly calmed by the reassuring wink he sent her way, but not much.

"Ehem," a raspy voice attempted to clear itself. Catherine spun around to face the man who had approached her table; it was the same man who had just come in. Catherine starred at him wide-eyed and scared.

"This seat taken?" he asked, his voice in no better condition.

"Um… yeah. I'm saving it for someone," she responded, trying to sound strong.

"Yep, me," he responded as he sat down on the other side of the table.

"You're the one who has been sending the letters?" Catherine asked as her hand began to shake. To avoid the man seeing, she slipped them into her lap.

"I don't know what yer are talking about. A weird man gave me twenty big ones to come in here and find the best looking blond in this place. Then I'm a supposed to give yer this," the man threw a sealed envelope down on the table and slid it towards her.

"What did this guy look like?" Catherine asked and she grabbed the note and set it in her lap along with her hands.

"Hmm… more cash," the man demanded, holding out his hand.

Catherine rolled her eyes and reached into her purse, which she had set next to her, without taking her eyes off the man. She held a twenty dollar bill between her fingers, hovering about the middle of the table.

The man reached out to grab it, but Catherine pulled away quickly. "Details first," she commanded, her new found confidence showing.

"Fine. He was taller than me; I'm five- nine. Dark…dark skin I think," the man grumbled before continuing, "He kept saying 'man'. Might be African American-it was dark in the alley- so I don't know for sure."

Catherine closed her eyes tightly, tiring to imagine the man, but the only image she could come up with was Warrick. Every word the man said cut deeper into her mind, only to further outline every detail in Warrick's face. With a shake of her head, Catherine opened her eyes and the image vanished.

"Can I go?" the man asked. Catherine nodded her head and handed over the cash. As the man stood up and walked out of the bar, Catherine placed her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. She didn't get her answer, and she wasted twenty bucks on a description that she couldn't get into her head. As far as she cared, it was all Warrick's fault. Warrick grabbed the note off the car. Warrick met her in the alley. _Warrick… _she thought softly.

It wasn't right to blame someone she felt and cared for so deeply. His harsh green eyes, the security she felt when he hugged her. _Him_. Catherine didn't look up at the sound of another person sitting in the booth.

"Look, whatever you want, get it somewhere else," she ordered.

"Cath," Jim said quietly, "We can leave now."

"Sorry Jim," she responded as she sat up. Her voice sounded tired and worn out. Jim placed his hand on Catherine's, causing her to jump.

"If you want to talk about it, let me know," he said before pulling away.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," she said before standing up and heading towards her car.

**Xxx**

Ten minutes later, it was three in the morning and Catherine was just arriving home. The house was silent as it usually was when she arrived from work. She noticed though, that there was an eerie calm. Normally when she walked in the door it was around nine in the morning and Lindsey was already at school.

She dropped her purse on the couch as she walked past it to the staircase. As she made her ascent Catherine found herself wanting to inform her daughter as soon as possible. She paused at the closed door of Lindsey's bedroom, contemplating whether or not to wake her. Deciding against the action, Catherine continued on to her room. She was so exhausted that she didn't bother to change out of her work clothes, but rather just to collapse on her bed.

As the dreams, or nightmares rather, of Warrick entered Catherine's subconscious, Lindsey stood in the doorway watching her mother stir in her sleep.

"_Why is there a ring on your ring finger?" Catherine asked, watching as Warrick sighed._

"_Because I'm married," he responded. _

"_What?" Catherine's voice portrayed shock, but on the inside it was not only that, but hurt. Suddenly the scenery changed. Catherine was now inside the layout room, reading glasses plastered to her face. She and Warrick had just finished trying to piece together their case when he raised up his ring bearing finger and asked if they could talk. Catherine took off her glasses and placed them on the table before agreeing._

"_You know what happened to Nick? It just got me thinking," He started reluctantly, "Life is so short, ya know? It's almost… almost shorter than we ever wanna believe."_

_Catherine looked at him solemnly, the subject being one she would have rather avoided, "Live for the day."_

"_Exactly. So I went ahead and asked this young lady I've been seeing, Tina, to marry me," he continued._

_Catherine half smiled and lied straight to his face, "Well you know that I'm happy for you."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Yeah." Catherine said lying again._

"_Well it also feels like you're not so happy for me," he said accusingly._

_Catherine looked away from his gaze then back up, "Warrick," she started, trying to find the right words, only to end up with a slight laugh._

"_You know the thing that makes a fantasy great, is the possibility that it might come true. And when you lose that possibility… it just kind of sucks."_

_Then the recall of reality changes into something completely different; a nightmare. _

"_I'm sorry Catherine, but I'll never love you like you love me. I have Tina now, there's no more room for little Catherine."_

"Mom?" Catherine heard her daughter's voice as if it was far off as she quickly sat up in bed, now wide awake.

"Hmm?" she mumbled her response. Though she couldn't see anything in the darkness, but she could feel her daughter climb up onto the bed next to her.

"Why are you home?" the small blond asked as she snuggled closer to her mother.

"Linds, honey, we need to talk. A serious talk." Catherine was still exhausted after her two hours rest, but she didn't want to go back to tossing and turning in response to her dreams.

"Okay, if I did something wrong, I'm sorry," the girl responded. Catherine found her daughter's hand and squeezed it before pulling herself into a more comfortable position. She was now sitting up against the pillows with her arm around Lindsey, seated next to her.

"You didn't do anything. There is someone who is trying to get to me. We don't know why but Uncle Gil and I are doing our best to figure it out. The person hasn't tried to hurt me, just talk to me,"

"Has he?" Lindsey asked. Catherine was shocked that her daughter was being so mature considering the subject was her mother being stalked.

"Well, it's complicated, but no. I haven't seen him in person."

"So that invite you got to Nick's party was actually something from him," Lindsey guessed.

"Yeah. I didn't want to worry you with this, but now I'm glad I did," Catherine said kissing Lindsey on her forehead. The two lay back down underneath the warmth of the blankets.

"Mom?" Lindsey asked. Catherine kept her eyes closed, ready to fall back asleep.

"Yeah love?"

"Be careful okay?"

Catherine rolled over to face her daughter, "I will. Don't you worry; we are going to catch this guy."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4---**

The next day Catherine walked into work with purpose. It was nearly an hour before shift started, and she wanted to be the first to inform Grissom of the latest meeting with her pursuer. As she walked through the door of his office an idea hit her. She shook it off quickly as the man greeted her; the amount of mistrust

"Hello Catherine, I assume this is about…" Grissom's words faded out as Catherine sat down, thinking of the late night events. Her eyes avoided his until he spoke again.

"He didn't show himself. Instead he paid off a homeless man to talk to me," Catherine said, getting straight to the point.

She matched his emotionless stare, while the idea came back into mind. Once again, she shook it off as he spoke. There was no way she was going to let her own selfishness get in between what she knew was right.

"That's it? What did the man say about his employer's appearance? I trust that you asked him that," Grissom said with great intrigue.

"He said that as far as he could tell the man might have been African American and around six-foot, that's all he got," her voice was saddened as the same picture from earlier came into her mind.

"No more notes?"

"He left me…" Catherine stopped, this time she let her instincts overcome her logic. Maybe there was just one way, "he left me alone after that."

"Okay then. I don't know where to go from here." Catherine watched as her boss sat down behind his desk in defeat, she looked away, the guilt of her decision setting in.

"I told Lindsey," Catherine informed him, trying to get away from the feeling.

"How did she take it?"

"Surprisingly well," the subtle change in conversation didn't help her conscience.

"What did you expect? You are doing an amazing job raising her."

Catherine smiled appreciatively, but she could stand his presence no longer. She got up, walked out of the room and into the hall, the apprehension written across her face. Grateful that no one had stopped her as she arrived at the entrance to the break room. The only person visible was half the figure of Sara, as she scribbled in her old case reports.

Catherine kept quiet as she approached the coffee machine, filled a mug, and sat in the seat closest to the door. Fears started to flood her thoughts of what was going to happen at the next meeting, the one she had failed to inform her employer about. As far as he was aware, the man in question had given up, never to be heard from again. But Catherine knew better, the danger felt as though it was as close to her as the mug that now sat on the table a few inches away.

When the four men that wrapped up the CSI night shift entered the room, those thoughts had subsided. The men's mere presence had been the comforting embrace that Catherine was longing for.

"What have you got for us tonight Boss Man?" she heard Greg ask as she lifted the cup to her lips.

"A couple B&Es near Summerlin, a 419 for Nick and Catherine, which leaves the decomp for Warrick." At the sound of her name, Catherine sat up in her chair, pretending that she had been paying attention, even as she was handed her assignment sheet.

The whole world seemed a blur as she followed Nick out to his car, until her name was one again spoken.

"Catherine!" she heard it repeated.

"Yeah?" she asked absentmindedly, until the numbness wore off.

"You still with me?" Nick asked, the worry leaking into his voice.

"I'm fine, let's get going," she said dismissing the conversation, until ten minutes into the ride, when it was brought up again.

"You sure your okay, Cath? You've been distant all day," the man sitting in the driver's seat said.

Catherine looked up at him from the car floor. "Why do you have to be the caring one?" she thought, not realizing what she had said was out loud.

Nick frowned, "Who would you rather it be?" he asked.

"Oh, no one Nicky. I'm nervous, but I shouldn't be, but I am," she explained, although, she could tell that it did not make much sense by the look upon Nick's face.

"About the case?"

Catherine laughed slightly, the uplifting feeling helping to ease the anxiety. She allowed her eyes to wander to the pocket of her pants, where the new note was still sitting, undisturbed.

"No… it's nothing you need to worry about."

**At the Scene**

Catherine and Nick were nearly finished processing when the pressing need to read the contents of the envelope bore down more than ever. As Nick finished bagging the gun that had been used to shoot the old Inn Keeper, Catherine walked behind the counter, pretending to examine something.

She opened the letter quickly, not caring anymore about the fingerprints, or any other evidence that could be on it.

_This is it, finally. I knew you wouldn't go to Grissom this time, shows how much I know about you, don't ya think? I also know that you aren't going to want to meet me at this location, but if your curiosity gets the better of you…_

_Forty-First Street, the corner with Fresh Mart; the alley behind it. 10:00 P.M. sharp._

Catherine inhaled slowly, taking in the overall familiarity and displeasure the note caused. Her musings were cut short by Nick's voice.

"You find something?" he asked. Catherine shoved the letter back into her pocket, then pretended to riffle through some of the drawers.

"No; I think we are done here," she called to him. She watched him frown for a second, as if not believing her, but then it was gone, replaced with a half smile before he grabbed the bags and headed out. Catherine grabbed the evidence she had collected before following.

In the car, Catherine couldn't help but let her mind wander to what was waiting for her on Forty-First Street.

**Lab**

It was almost the end of her shift, when Catherine ran into Warrick in the hall. The sparks were instantly felt as her body impacted with his.

"I'm sorry Rick, didn't see you," she said apologetically. Warrick seemed distant.

"It's fine," he started to walk around her, but Catherine caught him by the arm.

She frowned in confusion, "You okay?" she asked with concern.

"Uh, yeah. Just a really big case." Catherine could tell that he had lied to her, but let him continue on his way.

As she rounded the last corner before Mandy's lab, she could hear the voices speaking her name. With an unexpected element thrown into her night, Catherine scoffed before entering.

Wendy and Mandy quickly stopped their conversation at the sight of their subject. Catherine avoided the greetings, instead settling for a death-glare in Wendy's direction, and then a raised eyebrow to Mandy.

"So, the prints were a match to a man in the system, John Davis," Mandy said as she moved quickly behind her machines. Catherine looked over the page quickly, paying more attention to the 'secret' glances between the two lab techs. With all of her patience applied to getting through her shift, there was none left for them.

"Well, I'm obviously out of the loop. What have you heard?" she asked a hint of anger mixed with her words.

While both were reluctant to say, Wendy was the one who worked up the nerve to answer Catherine's question. "Rumor has it that you and Nick are secretly together." As she spoke, Catherine saw the disappointment in Mandy's eyes.

Shaking her head, Catherine gave up. "I'm not going to deal with this right now," and with that she snatched up the analysis and left, knowing that she had only applied more wood to the fire.

After dropping the paper off in the layout room to Nick, Catherine walked around the lab until she found the man she was in search for. Ending up in the Trace lab, she found both Grissom and Warrick.

"Gil, I'm not feeling well. You mind if I go home for a bit? Besides, Linds is due home from school any minute," she lied, completely ignoring Warrick and Hodges; the latter wasn't even paying attention.

"Okay, let me know if you need anything," he answered. Catherine could tell he hadn't fully heard her; he was too engrossed in whatever was under the microscope.

"You good?" Warrick asked. Catherine nodded, avoiding the pain it caused to lie to him. With the excuses over and done with, Catherine left the lab, but didn't go home.

Instead, she drove herself to the corner of Forty-Fourth Street. She hadn't noticed the black SUV driving through the night, almost directly behind her, turning down side roads to keep her inconspicuous.

Eventually she pulled into the parking lot of the Mini-Mart and took her spare gun from the glove compartment. Catherine left her phone in the car and was careful to lock the door twice. Her fear was rising as she walked around the store, searching for the alley that supposedly held all the answers.

She failed to notice a man get out of his black SUV in the same parking lot.

Catherine made it all the way into the alley, the darkness making it seem more and more like the past scenes she had worked. She began to dread each and every possible outcome that could come with being alone in an alley, awaiting your stalker.

As she continued walking, Catherine could hear the laughter, whistles, and shouts from a group of men, who had come into the alley's entrance, blocking her exit. She walked faster, her heels clicking against the pavement, trying to ignore them. More and more thoughts flew into her mind, only leaving when worse, more horrid ones entered.

"Hey, Bonita!" a Hispanic man in the group called out. Catherine did her best to ignore them, her hand sliding to her waist band, ready to grab the gun if she needed.

Her grip on the gun tightened as the group of men began to advance towards her. While they formed a circle with Catherine in the middle, her nerves took the better of her; he hand was frozen in place.

"Answer us when we talk to you!" one of the men shouted, closing the circle in tighter.

"Back off," Catherine demanded, her voice threatening and yet hollow at the same time. The men started to laugh at her reactions to them touching her arms, stomach, and any other area they could get at.

Catherine silently whimpered as one man pulled her closer. The man next to him reached at her hip and pulled the gun from its holster. Catherine was taken by surprise when the man hit her in the back of the head.

Her vision began to blur and she felt the blood begin to pulse from her skull. Catherine heard the sound of bullets being fired near her, and slowly she fell from the man's grasp.

Catherine now lay on her side; legs curled up close to her stomach. Her arms were pinned beneath her chest and the side of her face on the ground. She stayed that way against her will. She would have rather crawled her way to her car, but the gushing head wound would not allow it.

She heard some of the men run out of the alley, while the others limped off. She pushed herself up as far as it was possible to get a better bearing of her surroundings. The pounding in her head forced her to lie back down. In her blurred sight, Catherine could barely make out the shape of a man running directly towards her.

The shapes in front of her eyes moved, losing the sharpness that surrounded their edges fading. Before she knew it, Catherine was being lifted into someone's arms. She felt the strong muscles move beneath her, she began to mumble, trying to figure out who her apparent savior was and what was going on, before she felt her world slip out from under her and go blank.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N** Wow! I am so sorry for not updating sooner. Life caught up to me. Sadly, this is the last chapter of Scared Into the Light. It was a bit of a drag to write, mostly because I'm horrible at writing endings and I really didn't want to see it end. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did. _

_Beta:LLK_

* * *

Chapter 5

As she lay on her side in the over sized hospital, Catherine could hear the sound of her steady vitals playing from the large machine beside her. The sleep-induced grogginess slowly started the ware off, but her confusion stayed intact. _What happened to me in that alley? Why can't I remember?_ She did her best to roll onto her back. A sharp pain flew through her head and spine, Catherine let out a small groan before turning back to her original position.

Soon the doctor entered the room and stood at the end of Catherine's bed. He picked up the chart, scanning it slowly.

"Well, Miss Willows, I'm glad to see you are awake. We were not expecting you to be conscious this soon; you were hit relatively hard," he greeted her, his voice holding a pseudo compassionate tone.

"What happened to me?" Catherine asked, still on her side. She did her best to turn over, this time succeeding, but not without experiencing the same amount of pain.

"As far as I know, one of your friends brought you in. You had a gushing head wound. Luckily, there was no permanent damage, but when you fell, you broke your wrist." Catherine looked down, realizing the cast around her hand for the first time. "You are going to be fine. Your friends are still here; should I let them in?"

Catherine thought about it for a moment. She knew that whatever had happened, her co-workers would not let her know all the details. She was going to have to trick it out of them, "Yeah, let them in. But, do me a favor? Don't tell them I'm awake." The doctor nodded before he left.

Catherine flipped back onto her side, pulling the thin blanket up over her shoulder. This way the rest of the CSIs would not be able to see her face, and it would be easier for her to hide from them. Slowly, Grissom came in, followed by Nick, Sara, Greg, and Lindsey. She heard each one of them find somewhere to either sit or lean against before anyone started talking. Catherine wasn't surprised that Warrick wasn't there. Now that she was out of danger, why should he pretend to care? _Warrick. _The man she cared for the most wouldn't even show up to see her get better. _Maybe he couldn't get away from the lab; _she tried to rationalize with herself. Quickly she was pulled from her thoughts by the other's voices.

"She didn't tell you about the final meeting?" Lindsey asked innocently.

_How did she know about that?_

"No, Linds. The last thing she told me about was the meeting with the homeless man in the bar," Grissom's disappointed voice sounded through the room. From the absence of shocked voices, Catherine assumed that Grissom had informed everyone of her current situation.

"Still, I do understand why she didn't tell you," Sara said, her voice lower than the rest, "She really wanted to know who this guy was—who obviously wasn't going to reveal himself with others around. You were kind of smothering her."

_At least someone understands._

"But Catherine put her life in danger. How was she going to protect herself from whoever was stalking her, let alone the men in the alley? They took her gun and beat her with it. She would most likely be dead if it wasn't for Warrick," Nick voiced his opinion.

_Warrick was there?_

"Where is he anyway?" Greg asked. The group responded with confused sighs and 'I dunnos.'

"Who do you think is responsible?" Grissom voiced his most important concern.

"Past suspects?" Nick suggested.

Catherine racked her memory for insight on anyone who might want to cause her harm, but nothing came to mind.

"Warrick and I went through them all," Grissom explained, "all are either dead, still in jail, or on parole outside of the city. We checked with all the officers assigned to them, but all have been accounted for."

"So it's just some random stranger?" Sara asked in a whisper. She seemed to be the only one aware that there was a sleeping woman in their proximity.

"It's possible. As far as we know, Catherine didn't have any enemies, but that doesn't mean she didn't," Nick answered.

"What if it was someone she knew from her dancing career? Maybe they lost track of her until now."

_Leave it to Greg to bring that up._

"Once again, it's all possible. We could be dealing with a mentally unstable person who went berserk. He could have seen her at a crime scene, or anywhere else she's been, and simply followed her around," Grissom responded.

Catherine was finding it harder and harder not to jolt up and yell at the CSI's for their cluelessness—even though she was in the dark just as much as they were. They seemed to have hit all the bases. She didn't have many significant enemies, and with past suspects out of the way, there wasn't much left besides a crazed stranger.

"What about the homeless man she met with?" Lindsey asked, she had been quietly thinking while the adults had been talking.

"Damn this girl is smart," Greg interjected, "Definitely CSI material."

_That's my girl!_

"It's a good idea, but the man didn't say anything to her other than handing her a note," Grissom shot her idea down, but she was quick to recover.

"What if he noticed Uncle Jim and his officers and chickened out?" she asked. Catherine could practically hear the gears in both her daughter's and Grissom's heads turning rapidly.

"We need to find the men who attacked her," Nick pointed out.

"For that we would need Catherine's statement as well as Warrick's. Remember, the assailants all ran off. One of them was found dead around the corner from the shots that Warrick had fired."

Catherine didn't hear whose voice it belonged to. All she heard was that Warrick had killed for her. This meant that he had been the one who picked her up and brought her here. He had saved her. Now, all she wanted was to see him.

"Where's Warrick?" she asked, turning over. She used her good arm to press the button that propped the bed up into a sitting position.

"Welcome back, Catherine," Grissom greeted her while the others stared in her direction. Lindsey jumped from her chair and stood on the side of the bed.

"Don't ever do that again!" the young teen commanded. Catherine pulled her daughter into a hug, paying no notice to the pain.

"I'm so proud of you," Catherine mumbled into Lindsey's hair.

"For what?" she asked. The two pulled apart so Catherine could further explain.

"For being smart enough to suggest the homeless man before my supposedly brilliant co-workers," she answered while smirking at the large group.

"You," she said accusingly to Grissom, "should be ashamed of yourself for shooting down my child's idea."

She watched Grissom cringe away from her stare and turn to the group.

"Should I call Warrick?" Sara asked. Without waiting for an answer, she stood and left the room.

"So, no enemies?" Nick asked Catherine. She shook her head.

"I don't think we are seeing the whole picture," Catherine said thoughtfully. "Now that I've seen all of you, I'd like to get some more sleep. My head is killing me. Take Lindsey home would you, Nick? Send Warrick over here when you get a hold of him."

The group nodded, taking her orders without protest. With another quick hug from her daughter, Catherine said good bye to everyone. Slowly, she fell back into unconsciousness.

Hours had gone by, and the day had given way to night. Catherine awoke to the sound of another person entering her room. To her pleasant surprise, Warrick now sat in the chair beside her bed. After placing her bed back into the sitting position—a nurse had moved it during her sleep—Catherine could no longer remember what it was she was going to say to the man.

"Hey Cath," Warrick said while adverting his eyes from her face, "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," she answered. Her heart had begun to race again, merely from the way he said her name, even though his voice was riddled with guilt.

"Look…I…there's no great way to say this," he tried to start. Catherine cut him off.

"I know it was you who saved me, and I know that you shot the guy who grabbed me." Even after she had gotten the modesty bug off his chest, Catherine could still see that Warrick was holding something back.

"Yeah. It disgusted me. The way they were talking to you and then they touched you. When you reached for your gun I figured you had it under control. But apparently not. I'm sorry for not stepping in sooner," he apologized.

Catherine smiled, "You are not apologizing for saving my life. I'm not letting you."

"You don't get it though, Cath," Warrick said, wiping the smile from her face, "How do you think I even knew where you were?"

Catherine didn't say anything for a few minutes; her mind racing to find the answer. The only conclusion she could come up with was that he had seen her leave and followed her. _But why?_

"If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened to you," Warrick said before she could get out her question.

"No," Catherine said quietly in disbelief. It all made sense now. Warrick had placed the card on Judy's desk; he had never found it on her car. He made sure that she got the note. Whenever she left to meet the guy, Warrick had to leave as well. The mix-up with the memos. He had done that. Who else had access to the lab's computers? Warrick was there during the first meeting that didn't go as planned, but he had chickened out. It was him outside of her window. He knew that Jim Brass would be undercover in the bar—the one that he had found Catherine drunk at so long ago—so he sent the homeless man in. The description fit him completely. He was finally going to meet her in the alley alone, but he hadn't accounted for extra people there. It was his fault.

"No!" She yelled, "How could you put me through all of that? Just to talk to me!"

Warrick put his head in his hands, his elbows propped on his knees, "I never meant it to go this far. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me. You wasted Jim's resources, the time we could have spent working on cases, and almost my life. You scared me half to death, to the point I was worried about what would happen to Lindsey, so that I told her what was going on," she said accusingly.

"I know. It was so wrong; it went so much farther than it should have," he repeated. "I was going to stop at the first one and just tell you in the back alley of the lab. I'm a coward, which is why I even resorted to this."

"What was oh so important that you had to tell me?" Catherine inquired angrily.

"That I love you," he said, finally looking her in the eyes. Catherine was speechless; all her anger had drained from her with those four words. "But it was obviously in vain, considering how extremely mad you are with me."

"No, Warrick. I'm mad at the way you chose to convey your feelings. I'm thrilled that you feel that way," she responded; the smile on her face could not have been any wider. Warrick looked at her with confused eyes.

"I love you too, but you hurt me so bad with the Tina thing. Then you became distant, I just figured it was too complicated after my little confession," Catherine came to the realization she dreaded the most, "And you are still married."

"I know, but I was wrong to do that," he responded while looking at his hand.

Catherine watched in awe as he removed the ring and stuck it in his pocket. "I bet you she is in the supply closet, right now, with her ex-boy friend," he said with a smile of his own.

"You are in so much trouble," Catherine pointed out as Warrick stood and leaned over her.

"Probably," he said. Catherine found it hard to breathe with him that close, but she didn't care. She leaned up the rest of the way, capturing his lips with her own.

Fin

11.30.08---2.21.09


End file.
